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YAY! I have a new summer wardrobe! But it didn't come easy!

After a miserable trip to the mall looking for clothes for the wedding; I decided that If you have had more than one child, and care at all about being modest, then you are flat out of luck! If it's a skirt you want, they only come in two lengths, short and super short. If you are looking for a nice shirt, you can forget it (!) unless you are willing to buy another shirt to go under that shirt. Oh.....and if you have that "I've had three kids roll" on your belly, they all make you look pregnant! Am I the only mama frustrated about the lack of modest or flattering clothing out there? So after crying in the dressing room at the mall - after the sales girl told me a certain skirt made me look 15 lbs heavier, because she wanted me to buy the $79 skirt she had- I was at the end of my rapidly fraying rope! I came home and cried until midnight mourning the fact that I would never be pretty again. I felt so dumpy, ugly and misproportioned.

Then a thought hit me, I am a real woman! Not a woman with a 13 year old's body! The women who I look up to the most, who I find to be the most beautiful people in the world, all have a real body. I then decided that I would not change the way I feel about myself based on the latest form fitting trend. I decided that I would stay true to my desire to be modest and feminine even if it meant working harder! I would just have to make the clothes that were not available.

I started the next day drafting the pattern for this skirt and made my first tester, PERFECT! I made a nice wide band at the top with contrasting fabric that gives excellent tummy coverage! The back section of the band has long contrasting drawstrings that resembles apron strings when tied-is there anything more feminine than that?. The skirt is a very flattering A-line and is ankle length. When I tried it on to walk around in it and see if it would be comfortable, I didn't want to take it off! I usually wear capri pants all summer, but not now. So in true Samantha fashion, I promptly made two more just like it. I now have three very nice, flattering, modest skirts for summer and I have plans for at least three more! I am so excited about all the funky fabric combinations and pattern variations I'll be able to come up with!

I even took the skirt out for the true summer test, our daily walk to the beaver dam, and it passed with flying colors. I never realized how much cooler skirts were than pants.

(Is there anything better than dipping your feet into the water for the first time every year?)

So all is well again at the Caffee home. Mama's happy, and as you all know: "If mama aint happy, aint nobody happy!"

Comments

Anonymous said…
I made the transition to "skirts only" a few years ago and have never looked back! Cooler, more flattering, simply more feminine, modest...and I do *everything* in skirts...garden, walk, hike!, housework.
I think your skirts are fabulous and I so understand your frustation at finding properly fitting clothing. I'm tall, plump and pregnant...thank the Lord I know how to sew!!
~Rebecka
Love these, what great fabric-nice job!
ang
Candace said…
I love your fabric choices. I need to unpack my sewing room. I have to get it organized....hmmm, it's 12 am and everyone else is asleep, maybe I will start right now.
Still Patrice said…
I'm glad you found a solution to the dreaded mall clothes debacle. And a cuteone to boot!
Anonymous said…
Wooooohooooo! Go, you! Now where's the full-length skirt photo?
Linnea said…
Great skirts! My goal is to make some summer skirts too. Your came out perfect! The mall is a dreaded place for me because I am never able to try stuff on without the kids. how nice to just make it to fit!
Anonymous said…
Good for you!
Love the skirts, they would make me happy too. :)
Anonymous said…
Very cute!! I think I need to make some skirts for the summer too.
oliver rain said…
I feel so bad that you couldn't find things at the store. These are cute skirts that you made thought. I love the fabrics.
Molly said…
I am with ya, girl, on the whole modest clothing issue! It is getting ridiculous. The clothing styles here in Peru are even worse than in the States (difficult to imagine,I know!). I can't even find things for my tall,slender 7 and 10 year olds that is not skin tight and short enough to fit their 4 year old sister! We have a used clothing store that brings stuff from the States and I buy pretty much everything there, except for skirts which I sew because they are NEVER long enough! Whenever I find something modest I snap it up, even if it is too big for any of them...it will fit one of them some day and those treasures are hard to find! :) Have you seen the Moms for Modesty site? Did you have your surgery yet? Praying for you!
Unknown said…
I have had the same problem plus I cant justify spending tons of cash on something I can make myself! When I went on my last vacation I made like 5 skirts and was set the whole week!
Anonymous said…
Hooray for you! I love the skirts. Thank you for voicing exactly how I feel about clothes shopping, right down to the "after-three-kids belly"! :)
Ula
SHEILA said…
Samantha,
I love the skirts. I feel the same way about shopping for myself. I have the not so flat mommy belly too. I go through periods when I get depressed about how I look in clothes, and other times I can say its not what's on the outside, but what's on the inside!
xo
Dude...I'm with you, and I'm not even a mom yet! It sucks to be bigger than a size 6 or 8 cause there really isn't much available to you. UGH! When can I purchase some of your skirts?? :)
Anonymous said…
God Bless you for post about shopping for modest clothing! Could I ever relate. I love skirts also. They are suprisingly cool in the summer. I am so glad you found a solution to your clothing dilema (Oh, I found your blog through Pleasantview School House...I have enjoyed looking at yours also).
AmyF.
Anonymous said…
Well done you! For both surviving the shopping trip of doom and for then creating something totally beautiful!
melissa said…
I would love to see the full skirt. I'm sure you look fabulous in it! Plus sewing clothes (especially skirts which are way overpriced!) is such a money saver!
Good for you! Real women with real bodies need to stop feeling badly about not being able to wear the scraps-of-fabric-they-pass-off-as-clothing at the stores.

Love the fabrics you chose, too.
Kath Mattus said…
I'd love to see some of your ideas, or maybe a short tutorial would be lovely! :~)
I am just linking over to visit you for the first time from the down---to---earth blog. You are a wonderfully talented seamstress. I know I will be learning much from you. Thanks for sharing.

Kath
Enquiring minds and many questions! How does your skirt do up? Zipper, drawstring? I love the look of it!

Don't know if this is any help, but it's something I've been wanting to try for a while.

http://www.xanga.com/connimom/549154186/how-to-make-a-wrap-skirt---part-1-cutting.html

Smiles ~ Jen
Beth said…
I just had a friend send me the link for you website and definitely plan to order the girl dress patterns. I have not read all of your blog, so maybe I have missed this, but have you considered selling a pattern for this skirt or giving a tutorial for it. I'm a mom of four that understands why you created these.

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